


Coming Home From War

by justthehiddles



Category: War Horse (2011)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Mentions of Death, Mentions of War, mentions amputation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26390587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justthehiddles/pseuds/justthehiddles
Summary: The war had ended and the men came home from war, but not your beloved James.
Relationships: James Nicholls/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	Coming Home From War

The men were coming home from war. That was all anyone could talk about for weeks. The men were home from war. But not all men. You had been there when Mrs. Wilkes got the news of her young Billy. And heard of how Catherine collapsed into tears when she found out the fate of her dear Michael. No, not all men. Which could include your James. 

Captain James Nicholls. The title made him sound older than his years. But as mother said, “War makes men of boys in short order.” It had been months since you last heard from James. He had by some miracle survived the slaughter in Flanders only to be moved to another regiment. His last letter read of hope the Germans would soon admit defeat and he could return home and make good on his promise almost five years ago. 

You opened the drawer and pulled the small bundle of letters you had saved over the years. You re-read each one, your fingers gliding James’s penmanship, pressing each one to your heart before folding it back up and replacing them into their resting place. The men were coming home from war. 

-

It had been three months and you feared the worst. You had gathered at the train station when the first load of returning troops made their way home. There were tears and hugs all around. But no James. And now, there were no more train station celebrations, no more welcome home kisses. And life, for most, settled back into a sense of normalcy. 

Elizabeth was due to wed her longtime beau David that coming weekend. He had returned with a missing leg, but in otherwise good spirits. You did your best to muster joy for your best friend’s nuptials, but it was forced. 

You had become the girl that stopped conversations when you walked through the door. You pretended to not notice the hushed tones of the words “he didn’t come home” that fell from people’s lips as you strolled by. And in the evenings, when the rest of the house was quiet and settled, you would cry yourself to sleep, praying for a miracle. 

-

That weekend you stood in the chapel attending to Elizabeth.

“You just marvelous. Charles is a lucky man.” you cooed, putting on your best face. 

Elizabeth hugged you tight. “Thank you. You’ll find someone just as wonderful. I’m sure of it.” 

You caught your sob in your throat, but it was too late. Elizabeth pulled back with a horrified expression. “I didn’t mean… What I meant was…” She sighed. “I’m sure James is on his way home. He must have gotten detained.”

You nodded and wiped a quick tear away before straightening Lizzie’s veil. “Enough about me. This is your day.” 

Lizzie smiled and giggled. The ceremony was beautiful. You lingered at the church while the rest of the guests hurried over to Lizzie’s parents’ home for refreshments. You wandered around the church and cried, overwhelmed with the feeling you would never get to enjoy the bliss of a wedding yourself. 

“Your mother said I would find you here. When I saw it empty, I feared it was too late.”

You spun around to see James, your James, standing at the back. He was wearing a new captain’s uniform and his arm in a sling. You ran to him, leaping into his arms. Your tears wetting the front of his jacket.

“I thought you were gone. That you were…” Your last words choked out by your crying. 

James smoothed back your hair and kissed the top of your head. “I came under heavy fire and was knocked unconscious. When I woke up in the field hospital, they said I had been a coma for weeks. I had no memory from before. Finally, they let me go. I found a letter in the bottom of my boot. From you. And then it all came rushing back. I’ve been making my way back since.”

He leaned down and kissed you. It was wrong to kiss in the church, but you didn’t care. James sighed against you and you wrapped your arms around his neck. 

“I thought I had lost you.” You wiped the tears from your face. 

James smiled down at you. “You could never lose me, darling. I have always been with you.” 

You kissed again before leaving the church and heading first to your place to clean up your face and then to Lizzie’s. For once, you felt like celebrating.


End file.
